Routine
by kaorismash
Summary: TezuRyo. Sometimes routines change.


**Title:** Routine  
**Words:** 1,241

* * *

Tezuka and Ryoma live by routine.

By routine Tezuka is ignoring Ryoma and Ryoma is pretending to sulk.

As per usual Ryoma had done something to Tezuka, something that was probably Unforgivable, Wrong or Downright Embarrassing.

Ryoma snickers as he pulls the rice paper door shut behind him, but quickly forces his lips into a frown when he remembers he is supposed to be sulking.

Ryoma isn't fast enough because Nanjiroh notices from behind his magazine which is behind a newspaper that is shrouded in smoke.

Ryoma notices Nanjiroh and his frown becomes genuine. His nose screws up slightly at the smell of smoke wafting around the room and he wonders why Nanako hasn't told the old man off for smoking inside. Quickly, to avoid any lewd comments, Ryoma strides towards the stairs, trying to breathe in as little air as possible. The minute his bedroom door slams shut he hears the beginning of a very crude suggestion involving a girl. Really, he's only _twelve years old_ for god's sake.

Ryoma drops his tennis bag by the door and sprawls out onto his bed. Blinking lazily, he punches a short and simple message into his cell phone.

_Tennis tomorrow Buchou._

He sends it to the first number in his address book and relaxes. He closes his eyes with a small smirk.

Minutes tick by and he finds himself dozing off. The thought of Tezuka, however, jolts him awake. With a small sigh he pushes himself off his bed and moves towards his desk. The world doesn't revolve around Tezuka, unfortunately, because Ryoma had homework to do.

Homework was relatively easy but rather time consuming. He breezes through English easily enough, but the quadratic equations take him a lot longer than he would've liked. After making a pathetic attempt at his science report he throws his pen down, pouting. Ryoma's mouth tightens at the corners and he wonders what was taking Tezuka so long to reply. The time it takes to get half his homework done is enough time for Tezuka to get his message and reply.

Perhaps Tezuka retired earlier that night or is busy doing a chore for his mother. He did seem a bit harried earlier that day. Ryoma yawns and blinks tiredly. Time to go to sleep, he reasons, and after changing into his pajamas, brushing his teeth and saving Karupin from his old man he settles into bed. Ryoma leaves his phone on beside his pillow.

Just incase.

* * *

He wakes up abruptly from the buzzing of his phone. Bleary eyed he gropes around for the device. He frowns when he doesn't feel it on his bedside table. He feels his pillow vibrating gently.

Tezuka.

Not bothering to check the caller ID he flips open the phone, grumbling with feigned annoyance. "What?"

"OI, OI ECHIZEEEN. HURRY U—"

He quickly snaps the phone shut and stews silently on his bed.

Definitely not Tezuka.

Now that he is fully awake there would be no point to going back to sleep. Not that he could anyway with _that_ wake up call.

* * *

Ryoma isn't in a good mood. First he had to wake up to Momoshiro's voice blaring through his eardrums, then eat breakfast with Nanjiroh's incessant badgering about some nonexistent girl, and now morning practice had been cancelled due to exams. That meant a morning without tennis _or _Tezuka.

No. He isn't in a very good mood at all.

Ryoma, though, is still his sullen and unresponsive self, and his teachers and classmates remain oblivious.

Sakuno, however, notices Ryoma constantly checking his phone in between classes.

* * *

Lunch time doesn't alleviate any of Ryoma's stress. Usually he meets up with Tezuka on the gymnasium rooftop but today there is no sign of Tezuka.

His brows furrow in confusion. Tezuka couldn't really be mad at him.

Could he?

Lying flat on his back, Ryoma stares into the sky, thinking of reasons why Tezuka could possibly be mad. Yesterday wasn't any worse than that time he kissed Tezuka in front of his parents. Not really.

* * *

During afternoon practice Momoshiro is able to get four straight points pass Ryoma, winning a game. Momoshiro doesn't have another opportunity to try for a set, much less a second game, as Tezuka steps onto the courts and orders Ryoma to run ten laps, voice strong and deep and positively empty.

Ryoma doesn't hear his sigh of exasperation and fondness, or see his eyes softening in the corners, or the smile shining in his eyes even though his lips were physically fixed into a frown. So Ryoma keeps his eyes firmly rooted to the ground, the brim of his hat falling over his eyes and effectively covering his hurt expression from view. Without complaint, neither a smirk nor snark, Ryoma quickly spins on his heels to run his laps.

Tezuka stares at his back while the first year members and a few regulars divulge in gossip.

Ryoma's gloomy mood had become a bit obvious after lunch, but many pinned it on lack of sleep (Oishi), getting turned down by a girl (Momoshiro), or losing in a tennis match against someone with two years of tennis experience (Horio). Many agreed on the first idea before Tezuka orders them all to run thirty laps around the tennis courts.

* * *

After finishing his assigned laps, Ryoma leaves practice early. He doesn't stay behind to help Tezuka lock up like he usually does, nor does he wait to go out for burgers with Momoshiro and Kikumaru. Instead he heads home.

* * *

Tezuka locks up the clubroom afterwards and frowns when there is no sign of Ryoma. He was called by Ryuuzaki during the middle of practice and didn't have the chance to see Ryoma finish his laps or leave the locker room. His forehead creases into a frown and he thinks about Ryoma. He did notice Ryoma acting strangely during practice but wasn't sure why. He has a few suspicions and, while it isn't in Tezuka's nature to pry, he knows letting Ryoma stew over something isn't a wise idea.

* * *

Ryoma jerks awake to see Tezuka sitting on his bed, watching him curiously. Ryoma rubs his eyes tiredly.

"Buchou," he says quietly, void of his usual vigor.

Tezuka inclines his head a fraction of an inch but his eyes do not leave Ryoma's.

They sit there for a while, silently, just staring. Ryoma barely notices the sounds of Karupin scratching against his closed door, or the slightly deranged singing that couldn't quite be called humming coming from downstairs, or the muted clangs of dishes and chopsticks as Nanako sets the dinner table.

And then he's lying sprawled out on his back, pinned to the bed by a heavy and very attractive brunet.

Ryoma doesn't think of what a bad day Friday was, or the fact that he thought Tezuka was ignoring him; not even tennis. None of that matters because he suddenly knows Tezuka isn't mad at all, not if they were currently locked at the lips on his bed with the door pushed open by a very disgruntled looking cat, leaving them in full view of anyone who chooses to walk by his room.

With routine, sometimes there has to be change, but to Ryoma, theirs was a routine that changed to fit their lives without even changing at all.

Well, perhaps Nanjiroh's startled scream isn't quite part of routine, but Ryoma doesn't think that counts.


End file.
